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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · mate · board · branch · bowl · row · kick · tube

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. board — a committee
  3. kick — in football
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. row — a line
  15. board — to get on
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. branch — a division
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — a partner
  23. row — to paddle
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com